


Twilight Town

by HoForWonHo



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: JiCheolHui are VERY minor in this story, M/M, can you tell that I like kingdom hearts?, mingyu's awkward, soonyoung is radiant, there's a mention of junhoon if you squint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-18 08:55:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10613526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoForWonHo/pseuds/HoForWonHo
Summary: Mingyu moves into a small, gloomy, coastal town, but the sunshine is too bright for his eyes.





	1. Part 1: Meet Cute

**Author's Note:**

> it's a slow start, but just bear with me here.

Teal.

 

That’s what the sky looks like in Mingyu’s mind when he thinks of where he’d love to go. Somewhere across another galaxy or in another dimension of time and space, is where he imagines a sky of teal and the clouds so pink and fluffy, they might as well be cotton candy. Sunsets turn the clouds’ hues into oranges and yellows as the teal turns into a deep periwinkle. The ocean is still green, but instead of murky, the fish are brightly colored and the sunlight cascades in boxlike figures across the sandy bottom.

 

But it’s all a fantasy.

 

Music blasts through Mingyu’s earbuds as he scrolls through pictures on his phone, since the road he’s been traveling on hasn’t allowed him any signal for going on an hour now. Bright smiles from his graduation carnival glow across the faces of his friends in the best photo from that night. Their eyes are scrunched up from laughter at Seungcheol after Jihoon had beaten him in the High Striker challenge. Jihoon triumphantly rests the hammer on his shoulder as he leans against his favorite blonde tall stoop. Who knew that such a small boy could have arms stronger than Seungcheol? Junhui probably, but that’s the one and only name on the list of people who knows almost everything about that boy. Lights from the rickety metal rides blast through the darkened night and cast red, green, and blue shadows on everyone’s tanned skin. They’re ready for summer. They’re ready for the one last hurrah allowed as their completed group of seven before they set off into adulthood. They aren’t ready for Mingyu to ruin all of their plans. It isn’t even his fault, technically, but he blames himself for the loss of what was planned to be the best summer vacation of his entire life.

 

As the vehicle winds deeper through the wooded and single-laned road, the sky becomes only a sliver of grey past the tops of the pine trees.

 

Suddenly, Mingyu no longer wants to look at his friends, his photos, his old feelings of happiness. In a matter of seconds, what makes him smile, has him locking his phone and turning up the volume of his music.

 

Loud is nice.

 

Loud is good.

 

Loud keeps tucked away the thoughts and angsty emotions he so carelessly shoves into the back of his own mind. He can’t help but wallow in self pity because of where his path is headed. Summer is meant to be spent laughing around bonfires and passing beers around with your friends, not staying holed up in a house in a gloomy town where it always rains.

 

Mere seconds after having blocked out any emotion or unpleasant thought from his mental atmosphere, he’s being shaken back into reality by a hand on his shoulder. He takes the headphones from his ears and leaves them to rest around the back of his neck.

 

“Hey kiddo! We’ll be there in about thirty minutes. This is the last chance you get to nap. We’ve got a busy day planned.” His father’s eyes are bright and hopeful, a chip in his step, or more like a chip in his voice while he talks. For the first time in months, this is the happiest Mingyu's seen him.

 

Maybe this is all worth it. What’s one summer with a few friends when just trudging along to the smallest town Mingyu’s ever heard of is making his father’s heart warmer than it’s been able to feel in months?

 

It’s been four hours of nearly non-stop driving. There hasn’t been a single break for food and the only reason they pulled over before was because Mingyu nagged his father about his bladder exploding until he was let out to pee. In all reality, Mingyu didn’t want to be cooped up in the car for hours without being able to stretch his long-ass limbs.

 

To this day, it’s still a mystery where his height has come from. His father is nearly 10cm shorter than he, and his mother rings in a whopping 25cm shorter than the 184cm giant he has become. If he didn’t look so much like his father, he’d think he was adopted. Still, he’s brought up the question to his parents, only for them to burst into laughter from the ridiculousness of his curiousity. He shouldn’t be nervous about their reactions, but somewhere deep in the back of his mind, he ponders over what’s true or not.

 

Surprisingly enough, he wasn’t too gifted in the height department throughout most of his childhood. Before his limbs grew to be twice the size of what his normal body was, Mingyu had been one of the shorter kids in his group, aside from Jihoon. His height always meant that he would be picked last for kickball, but it also meant that he was always in the front of photos—which many would hate if they weren’t as photogenic and handsome as he had been in his early teen years.

Somehow Jihoon, to Mingyu's extreme disappointment, is still picked before him for any physical activity.

 

He’s feisty, has spirit, and is much stronger than he looks, making him a perfect candidate; easily weavable through opponents.

 

Jihoon has been seen as serious and studious, but he has a somewhat goofy side when he thinks no one is watching. This makes him respected and looked highly upon by his other squad members. It’s a trait that Mingyu wishes he can acquire in lighting speeds because he needs to gain composure of himself, for he feels his body breaking apart. There’s a sense of strength that he lacks from living his whole life with emotions as malleable as putty. This could be why he fell so hard for Minghao so incredibly fast, but as he looks back at it, he shudders and realizes they would’ve fought too often to have lasted much time together. Thank the lord that he doesn’t act on his crushes.

 

Since when have divorces become so frequent in society? Has no one ever tried to work through their problems before? Somehow people who are married nowadays either don’t spend enough time together in the beginning to evaluate how well they’d be off in the coming years, or they just don't take enough time to assess and fix the problems each of the spouses is having. On the other hand, there’s the issue of cheating, but as far as Mingyu knows, that factor isn’t relevant here. Every time the first two factors of this issue occur, it ends up in divorce.

 

How can someone know they're in love, so fast and be hit so hard by the feeling, only to let the flame burn out without ever trying to reignite it? Are they even participating in the give-and-take aspect that makes a healthy relationship?

 

His father hadn't seen it coming and the divorce papers hit with a force of fifteen trains slamming directly into his heart, leaving it crushed to pieces and scattered on the floor for his son to scramble to put the piece back together. Mingyu had been confused when it happened, and is still very much since every time he saw his parents they looked like they were so entirely and completely in love with each other. There's supposed to be screaming, yelling, endless arguments, and a slow distancing of oneself before the papers are given.

 

He is supposed to be the exception; the kid who grows up with both parents in a healthy environment, but look where he is. A depressed father hiding his sadness through a fake smile and tired eyes while pulling his son along on a summer journey he never asked for. Maybe the divorce triggered a midlife crisis because who in their right mind buys a summer vacation home in a boring town filled with old people, thinking that it would be a good idea? Mingyu’s father is definitely not in his right mind.

 

Mingyu’s mind drifts to the thought of that teal sky he holds so fondly in his imagination and lulls his body gently to sleep.

 

\--

 

“Look out!”

 

With a jolt, all wide eyes and very much like that spinning Mr. Krabs meme, Mingyu jumps from his sleep and quickly assesses his surroundings. They’re in front of a simple, white, two story house. There’s a garage out front and a light green wooden walkway leading to the main entrance. The risen lawn to the right of his passenger side window is overgrown and needs some serious attention, but the makeshift steps up to the lawn’s surface look promising and sturdy enough to handle some weight. For only two people, Mingyu feels that this is too much surface for them to deal with, but he sighs and thinks of how secluded the area feels from the town they must’ve passed through while he was asleep.

 

Once out of the car, Mingyu is able to see a house through the trees on the left. Near the main road, there are a few driveways here and there, and a surprising amount of children yelling and screaming in the connecting yards of the neighbours. It’s a nice area, he decides as he notices the clouds have broken and that the sun casts almost a majestic shine over each rooftop, blade of grass, pine needle; everything is golden; far from the gloomy pictures he's seen on the internet.

 

Mingyu sighs and pulls his large bag out from the open trunk that his father has already started unloading from. Loud, obnoxious sounds of the garage door opening is an indication that his father has information on how to open the house from the keypad, but is too lazy to use his real key for the front door. Inside of the garage it looks empty; a workshop in the far left corner looks old and deserted, but still hosts a spot or five for a few old, rusted fishing poles and hooks hanging around here and there. After a few breaths inside of garage's much cooler temperature, Mingyu realizes it smells like old moth balls and outdated board games.

 

There are cupboards attached to the wall on his right. They’re a light blue color, but it’s faded to nearly white over the years. Once open, Mingyu understands why the smells are so strangely specific in this area. Many older versions of games like Monopoly and Lego kits are stacked upon each other and shoved into shelves. Other cupboards along the wall are almost empty apart from the few boxes of sidewalk chalk and old winter coats that were never donated before the last owner’s leave. He closes the cupboard, returns to his bag which he left in the small walkway meant for shoes not allowed in the house.

 

Expecting wood, the cold feeling of tile smacking harshly against his senses tosses him off of his mental game as he hops on his toes, attempting to lessen to frigid and icy feeling spearing though his feet. He ends up hopping to the right where he rams his hip into the dryer machine.

 

_What a strange place for a dryer._

 

A small window peaks through one of the walls and let’s warm light filter in. What a concept. Behind him, Mingyu discovers a fairly tall door, it’s cream, just like the other door’s he’s seen to this house so far, and when he opens it, he’s shocked to find a walk-in pantry. He thinks he might be okay with this idea now that he has room to house every ingredient under the sun. His little chef’s heart expands in complete joy of what he will be able to create. At least he’s able to find one way to keep his constant state of boredom a tad bit less constant.

 

Outside of the laundry room, or coat roam, or pantry room, or whatever the hell this room is called, is the kitchen, which makes sense seeing as the pantry is so close, yet strangely far away. The kitchen blends well into the dining room which blends well into what Mingyu assumes is the living room without making him feel like he’s suffocating. Luckily the past owners left a lot of this area furnished. A table and chairs are sitting in the section for the dining room, where the windows house a nice view of the bushes, the backyard deck, and part of the lake. It's beautiful, and quaint, and entirely fit for an old person's retirement home. What a waste of money and excess wealth. It reminds Mingyu of when old people want to settle down and move to Florida. Who the hell would want to live in Florida? That place is filled with too many crazies for his liking. At least this town is too boring and small to hold any lunatics. 

 

As he winds himself up the staircase, he realizes that the space is rather confined in comparison to the rest of the house, and the tight corners are making him feel rather uneasy. It’s not a long journey upward and the steps release up onto yet another open floor plan, or at least half an open floor plan. In the middle of the walkway between the two bedrooms lies a loungeable bench and a large bookshelf; empty and lined with dust.

 

He finds himself walking to the right and ends up in a room with two fairly large windows. One looks over to the yard and spread out neighbourhood while the other holds a view of the calm lake as the sun’s rays shimmer across the water. Setting his large suitcase onto the light blue duvet cover and gets to work unpacking his belongings.

 

His shirts hang nicely in the closet while the rest of his jeans, pyjamas, and other clothing items are folded neatly in the white dresser beneath the lakeside window. Mingyu brushes his sweaty palms on his black jeans and sits on the edge of his bed; satisfied. A few glance-overs of his room and he decides that the only real piece of furniture missing is a television. No more staying up until the butt-crack of dawn playing Uncharted 4 because he sure as hell knows that he won’t be able to stay downstairs in the large, dark, open space during maximum spook hours. Not happening, not in this lifetime, or the next. If there’s anything that Mingyu doesn’t fuck with, it’s ghosts and for all that Mingyu knows, this house could’ve been built on some ancient burial grounds.

\--

 

Plastic shopping bags crinkle as Mingyu unloads the last of the groceries into their designated places; the pantry or refrigerator. The skies have now greyed from what he can see through the small kitchen windows. It’s an upsetting sight, but he knew that the sweet rays of sun would not shine on the coastal town for long.

 

“Hey dad?!” Mingyu calls into the living room where his father is mindlessly clicking the television remote. “I’m gonna go to the bookstore real quick, I’ll probably be back in an hour or two! Any genre sound good to you?!”

 

He’s only waved off without an answer, and soon he finds himself in the driver’s seat of his dad’s Subaru.

 

A bookstore. He needs to find a bookstore.

 

_Did they even have a Barnes & Noble here? What the hell do they even have in this town anyway? It’s probably just a gas station owned by hicks and two fast food restaurants._

 

Is he actually going to have to find a hole in the wall shop where the scent of deteriorating books will be practically be shoved up Mingyu’s nostrils? Probably. It’s still worth a shot, and he doesn’t really need to fill up the bookshelf with books he intends to read. He lives for the aesthetic of looking like he's scholarly without putting in the actual effort. After typing ‘bookstore’ into his Yelp! app, the title ‘Books n Bears’ is the first of only two to pop up. He decides this app is no use in a town so small that anyone would need a magnifying glass to find it on a paper map, and picks the first choice, placing it into the car’s built-in navigation system.

 

Maybe Mingyu’s thoughts are a little over the top and exaggerated, but his normal city life demeanor is taking a hard hit as his car rolls into town. What probably is the most exhausting part about having to live out in the boonies is the issue of passing over the bridge every time he needs to purchase or do anything. It rises high above the calm waters and the most-likely once vibrant copper arcs have oxidized into a bright and entrancing ocean green color. There’s always a voice in the back of Mingyu’s head that constantly asks why architects build shining and glamorous structures if they are only going to oxidize when he sees structures like this. It’s as if they only want one item to shine brightly for a short period of time, but those who are able to witness the beauty it holds, are some of the elite and lucky few. What a time it must’ve been to have seen this bridge in its peak. Apart from the beauty, the fear of the bridge breaking and falling slips into the back of his head; heights are the devil's doing and nothing can change his mind. 

 

But he zooms over the last part of the bridge, makes a couple of turns that his monotonous navigation robot tells him to, and ends up on a street with worn down buildings that sport even more worn down paint jobs and deteriorating wooden doors. There’s charm to them though; rustic and well lived are the lives they’ve been able to lead and it's a nice cozy feel which contrasts against the dark weather above. A public lot is placed by a café which overlooks the lake and the town’s bridge.

 

Coastal towns are such a waste; all of this beauty, but the clouds only break for a couple months out of the year. Unfortunately, June gloom is living up to it’s name, which is fine as long as it’s only grey skies and no rain. Mingyu didn’t do his hair every day only for his perfectly sculpted design to flattened in five seconds.

 

Outside of the store, the sign reads _Books ‘n’ Bears_ , the font slightly dated, in a faded light blue color. If he were to visit ten to twenty years ago, Mingyu’s sure he would’ve thoroughly enjoyed his visit, but he stares at the mostly glass door, sighs, and continues inside.

 

Bells chime from the top of the door as he enters and he’s standing immediately next to a life sized fake bear that’s dressed in swimming trunks and sunglasses for the summer. Mingyu smiles softly at the owner’s attempts to be humourous. He hates to admit it, but they’re creative here—whoever _they_ are—because as he sees it, there are cute stuffed bears strategically placed on top and around the bookshelves. How quaint. It’s bigger on the inside than what he was expecting, but it’s still a lot smaller than what he’s used to back home. Surprisingly enough, there are rows of new arrivals near the front, and Mingyu’s eyes light up knowing that he won’t have to spend his summer reading something wretched like Great Expectations or Heart of Darkness. His fingers brush lightly across the bindings of the newest arrivals as he reads the titles until _Sunshine in the Rain_ catches his attention.

 

“Hi there! Welcome to Books n’ Bears!” Calls a cheerful voice from somewhere behind his turned back. “Can I help you with anything?”’

 

Whoever’s voice it is, sounds like a sunrise, sunset, and sunflower all mushed together forming some strange aura of genuine happiness. Turning around, Mingyu’s eyes rest upon a boy who looks to be roughly around his age; eyes almond shaped and sharp, like the hands of a ticking clock, an oval face made up entirely of cheeks, and a smile that’s almost too bright for the dark weather looming outside of the store windows. He’s shorter than Mingyu—but then again it feels as though most people are—and his chocolate locks are warm and inviting. Maybe Mingyu’s imagining it, but the smell of coconut seems to waft off of the shorter figure, clearing out the decomposing smell of the old books sitting on shelves in the back.

 

“My dad just bought a house out here and there’s a big bookshelf. I figured I’d try and find some stuff to fill it. It looks lonely.” Not too entirely sure what to do with his hands now that they’re not brushing over books, he stands awkwardly, twiddling his thumbs while waiting for the employee to speak again.

 

“You’ve come to the right place, then!” The cheerful boy moves beside Mingyu so that they are nearly touching arms, but the shorter one doesn’t seem to notice. Instead, he skims the section Mingyu was looking at early and retrieves a book from the shelf. “Here. This one is fantastic, but I recommend reading _To Kill a Mockingbird_ first because you won’t really understand it if you haven’t.”

 

Mingyu takes the book from the hands that offer it to him, and he reads the title on the front: _Go Set a Watchman_. “I had to read _To Kill a Mockingbird_ back in 9th grade, but I only remember bits and pieces of it.”

 

“Well it’s the sequel to this book, and somehow, surprisingly enough, the author was alive enough to write it. It’s quite beautiful, really.” Cute. Very cute. The employee knows his books, and seems to love them as well, and Mingyu’s mind is only thinking of how adorable the other’s eyes are when they’re talking about some lousy old book. Well, maybe it’s not lousy or old, but whatever, he still finds the situation cute. “We also sell the first book just in case you wanted to brush up on it. Plus you said you were looking to fill up your bookshelf, right?” Mingyu merely nods in response as the employee continues to ramble on about his favorite books—classic and new—and guides the tall and clumsy oaf through the store, piling books into his arms as they move along.

 

Maybe he has a soft spot for boys who love books, or maybe the local bookstore boy is just really good at his job, but he stands at the checkout counter with a pile of novels nearly matching his own height as his total is being entered into the register. What an idiot. While pulling out his debit card, Mingyu mentally scolds himself for being such a pushover when it comes to any cute person who smiles in his direction.

 

Slowly but surely, Mingyu’s books are placed into five reusable bags. Although only having been in this town for a few hours, he has a feeling that the people here are extremely environmentally friendly. It might be the pine trees, or the lake, but it's much more different than his, now, old home.

 

“You have everything you need, right?” Asks the boy from behind the counter as the receipt starts to print.

 

“I’m sure I have enough to fill most of the bookshelves now,” answers Mingyu with a genuine smile. “If I need more, I’ll come back. Thanks again—”

 

“Soonyoung,” the boy speaks seeming to know what Mingyu's lingering sentence and wide searching eyes were looking for. “My name’s Soonyoung.”

 

“Thanks again, Soonyoung.” With arms near the brink of death from carrying books—which might as well have been bricks for all Mingyu’s muscles can tell—Mingyu struggles with opening the door, enabling him from leaving.

 

Before Mingyu can ask, Soonyoung is turning the handle and letting him out of the store with a squishy smile.

 

“Hey!” Calls Soonyoung once Mingyu’s crossed the street. Without much hesitation, Mingyu sets down his heavy bags and turns around to face the store. “I’m off in fifteen! Wanna grab ice cream?!” His tone is so sweet and light that all Mingyu is able to do is nod and throw a crooked smile across his face before picking up his bags and heading to his car.

 

Loading the books into the car takes him longer than expected due to the issue of his dad's car’s trunk is being testy and not wanting to open.

 

"This thing's like two years old. How the hell can it already be busted?!" Mingyu runs his hands through his hair in frustration before trying to open the trunk again.

 

After many minutes of struggling with the back end of his car, he gives up and tosses everything into the back seat. By the time that fiasco is over, the clouds are beginning to break again, and Mingyu’s forehead is shining from a thin layer of sweat. Who knew that books could be so much of a work out?

 

Upon turning around he’s met with a sound of bells ringing and a door shutting and as he looks up he notices Soonyoung closing down the shop. How strange that Mingyu is able to hear these subtle sounds from the parking lot, but the lack of cars passing through the road keep the town nearly silent. A slender arm from bookstore boy is waving him over, and without a second to think his actions over, Mingyu’s walking across street and onto the other sidewalk.

 

“Not used to a small town?” Soonyoung asks as he shoves his hands into his dark jean pockets.

 

“How’d you guess?”

 

“City boy aesthetic,” says Soonyoung simply with a giggle that sends his eyes into small angled crescents. Every smile is so genuinely happy and Mingyu wonders if he’ll ever be able to get used to it—that’s if they end up befriending one another after their little old-town escapade.

 

“Hey!” Mingyu protest, “What’s that s'posed ta mean?!”

 

There’s no answer, only a grab and a pull forward, and suddenly they’re briskly walking to their ice cream spot. Mingyu stares down in shock at the paler skin attached around his wrist. What a weird feeling this is; a stranger has initiated contact so quickly, but instead of confusion and anxiety, he feels calm and at ease as he lets himself be pulled along on whatever adventure Soonyoung has in store.The book boy’s skin is much paler in comparison to Mingyu’s own and he likes to think the contrast between their melanin levels is a nice pairing. It’s like deep caramel drizzled on vanilla bean ice cream, but with an addition of a slight sunkissed glow radiating from Soonyoung’s skin. His hand is soft but his grip is tight which is the opposite of Mingyu’s rough and calloused hands that hang loosely onto most items.

 

Just as suddenly as they had taken off, they are stopping. The walk, or run, or whatever fast paced movement forward they were doing, isn’t far, but just to the edge of the street and to the corner. Admittedly the walk isn't too far anywhere when traveling around in the heart of town, but Mingyu is still breathing heavily as he attempts to regain a steady pace of breath. A large sign with a double scoop ice cream cone reads _BJ’s 48 Flavors_. Mingyu can think of quite a few names that would be suitable for an ice cream shop instead of BJ’s, but the promise of 48 flavors is tempting, so he holds his tongue from making any inappropriate comments and steps inside.

 

Only once they’ve walked up the wooden steps and into the ice cream parlor does Mingyu realize that there is still a small, soft hand attached to his wrist. A few light shakes of his arm and Soonyoung’s eyes widen in surprise because it seems to be that he had forgotten his hand’s tight grip on Mingyu’s arm. He lets go with an apologetic smile, eyes bright, teeth shining—dear lord what a sight to behold. Even his smallest of smiles are brighter than the stars in the night sky view from middle of the forest.

 

“Sorry about that,” states Soonyoung. “I just got a little excited. It’s rare when we get newbies around here.”

 

“Nah man, don’t sweat it.” Mingyu brushes of the apology with ease because in all honesty, he didn’t mind it too much. He probably would’ve been able to handle it longer it Soonyoung’s hands weren’t so sweaty.

 

After wiping off whatever sweat is cooling his arm, Mingyu takes in his surroundings. Salt water taffy bins are placed around the room, and the rest of the small shop is old fashioned in the way that makes him feel like he’s been taken back a few decades. Hardwood floors are worn down and darkened by many years of feet shuffling in, and the sign behind the boy scooping ice cream is lit up by old fashioned blinking bulbs and old blocked letters that are placed across the board in a semi-straight manor.

 

Character. It has character. Character that smells like fresh waffle cones and sweet cream.

 

“48 flavors,” the sound of Soonyoung’s voice breaks Mingyu out of his sweet scented induced coma, reminding him that he’s here because of some bookstore boy. “It’s a lot to pick from, a lot harder than pickin’ your nose am-I-right?” Nervous laughter falls from the shorter boy’s lips and he lightly jabs his elbow into Mingyu’s sides.

 

“Oh shut up Soonyoung,” calls the ice cream scooping boy from behind the counter. “And stop using my jokes. You obviously can’t deliver them as well as I can, so stop trying.” Teeth. Bright teeth and a smile that nearly takes up his entire face. That’s all Mingyu can see, and somehow the crinkles against the boy’s warm skin tone radiates warmth and happiness. Is everyone in this town a ray of sunshine? Or has Mingyu just happened upon the happiest duo he’s seen in his life? He’s hoping it’s the latter because he’s not sure if he can handle a whole slew of people just like these two goobers.

 

Soonyoung gestures to the boy with his tongue out and maybe a not so friendly finger. “Ah, yes. This is my best friend, but also worst enemy, Seokmin, or DK if you wanna spice it up.”

 

“DK?” Asks Mingyu with a brow quizzically raised.

 

“It stands for Donkey Kong because every time he opens his mouth he makes me want to smash a barrel over my head.”

 

Behind the counter, Seokmin nearly loses his sanity, or it seems this way, as his loud and boisterous dad-like laughter fills the room. If there were any other customers, this might be concerning, but this doesn’t look like that’s going to happen any time soon.

 

“You really hate me that much, eh?” Seokmin asks lightly with smile still plastered to his face.

 

“Only if you charge us full price for ice cream,” flirts Soonyoung as he bats his eyelashes and leans over the counter, closer to Seokmin’s face.

 

“Ew don’t be disgusting.” Seokmin shoves Soonyoung’s shoulders teasingly and Mingyu nearly gags at their cheesy level of best friendship. “Anyway… what can I get for ya?”

 

“The usual,” replies Soonyoung.

 

“Gross, not you.” Seokmin’s gaze is now locked onto Mingyu’s own; deep brown eyes stare at each other across the room. “I was talking about Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome over here which you so rudely forgot to introduce me to.”

 

“What the hell dude!? I seriously just told him your name and now you’re all up on my dick to learn his?!” The constant trivial feuding between these two is extremely comical and Mingyu’s goofy and crooked smile is finding its way back onto his face once more.

 

“My name’s Mingyu, Kim Mingyu,” he answers softly, but loud enough to get to boys to stop their bickering. “And for the record, Soonyoung didn’t even know my name either. So I guess it’s a win-win for you both.”

 

“Dude, c’mon he’s gonna hold this against me forever now!” Soonyoung drags his sulking frame to the cash register where Seokmin is beaming proudly, as if Mingyu is some sort of prize to be won and currently sees himself in first place.

 

“Do you know what you want?” Seokmin asks. Mingyu shakes his head ‘no’. “Have you even looked at what flavors we have?” Once again, Mingyu shakes his head.

 

“I’m not very good at making decisions, so I’ll just go with whatever Soonyoung gets.”

 

Without a response, Seokmin straightens out his smiling face and heads to the back. What a strange place to go for ice cream, especially if there are 48 flavors spread out in front of them.

 

“Man, I’m not too sure you should’ve done that but,” Soonyoung shrugs, “it’s too late now.”

 

Oh man, this is probably not going to be good. Soonyoung most likely has some disgusting taste in ice cream like pickled prune juice or sardines. Did they even make sardine ice cream? Mingyu hopes not, but this doesn’t stop him from nervously tapping his foot on the wooden floor. He stops his nervous jittering as soon as Seokmin re-enters with two teal popsicles; one in each hand. They remind him of the sky he imagines when he’s stressed or upset, and somehow he thinks he’s made the right choice to follow along with Soonyoung’s antics—even though it’s most likely some gross and overly sweet type of cotton candy flavor.

 

“Two sea salt popsicles for my number one salty customer,” jokes Seokmin with that dashing smile of his as he pairs it with a wink. A small sigh of relief brushes past Mingyu’s lips knowing that he won’t be subjected to cotton candy flavored ice cream hell.

 

“You’re disgusting,” Soonyoung groans as he takes to popsicles and hands a couple of dollars to his friend.

 

“You love me, just admit it.”

 

“You know I never will,” but Soonyoung’s eyes hold the words of adoration he refuses to say as his eyes go small from his squishy smile. “Welp. We’re gonna go now...so…”

 

“Oh c’mon can’t you just stay and talk? I’m so bored and you're the only customers who’ve been in here for the past hour. Tourist season hasn't started and I'm withering away standing alone in my little ice cream corner.” With pleading eyes, Seokmin juts out his bottom lip and attempts to pull at Soonyoung’s heartstrings. No luck. Soonyoung’s face is set straight and he shakes his head. “Plus, your new friend is nice to look—nice to talk to. He’s really nice to talk to.”

 

“Too bad! We’re still leaving your crusty ass.” With that, Soonyoung shoves a popsicle in Mingyu’s direction. “Here. Grip it tight.”

 

He does, and is soon having a somewhat familiar hand wrapped around his wrist as he is being pulled along to some other new destination. They run fast, hearts racing, eyes wide, smiles plastered across their faces, and Mingyu has no idea why. Why is he smiling? Why is he actually happy to be here? How could all of this have happened so quickly? All of this adventure must mean he's in some sort of dream. He’ll wake up in an hour or so, tucked inside of his light blue duvet, comfy but lonely.

 

No, he’s awake.

 

Multiple attempts to squeeze his eyes shut and open them to an eggshell colored ceiling are of no use because the wind brushes past his face, through his shirt, and it ruffles his hair. He’s not asleep, but maybe he’s not fully coherent. There’s no way that a fully awake, sane human being would drop everything to run around town with a stranger right? Crazy. Yes, that’s the word for it; completely and utterly insane. Yet it’s exhilarating, and blood pumps vigorously through his veins because everything feels new and, despite the clouds, warm. For the first time in forever, he feels alive and thriving until he abruptly stops near a dock that houses rows of sailboats, small and large, that rock lightly back and forth from the light movement of the lake.

 

“Your popsicle isn’t melted, is it?” Soonyoung’s question is muffled by his mouth which is already on his popsicle.

 

Light blue sticky drops have marked his hand, but most of his popsicle is intact. “A little. But it’s fine.”

 

Once on the dock, Mingyu dips his hand into the water and rinses off the melted popsicle. Now, he feels like he can finally taste whatever strange flavor sea salt could be.

 

“Don’t be such a wimp, just try it!” Soonyoung shoves Mingyu’s hand that holds the popsicle, into his face. Apparently this boy doesn't really know much about personal boundaries. “It’s good! Trust me!”

 

_Fuck it._

 

Sweet at first, creamy right after the sweet has hit, then a hint of salt at the very end. It’s definitely different, but better than the salty caramel treat that most people adore. The flavor isn’t overpowering, but sits lightly on his tastebuds. A warm breeze rolls by and the boats rock a little more than they previously had, but somehow everything works together; the boats, the clear water, the teal popsicle, some stranger pulling him in random directions, and the sun breaking through the clouds once more.

 

There’s a thud heard on the docks, and it turns out to be Soonyoung plopping himself down in the middle of the walkway. Busy season must be a little later in the summer because most of the boats have covers on them and are in need of some serious cleaning. No one looks to be headed their way, so Mingyu decides to sit himself down next to Soonyoung and enjoy the rest of his treat.

 

Silence is nice, but it doesn’t seem to be much of Soonyoung’s forté because he’s talking as soon as he finishes his popsicle. “What brings you to Twilight Town?”

 

“Twilight Town?” Mingyu quirks an eyebrow.

 

“It sounds better than a name that’s been thrown around everywhere for so long. Florence isn’t original, it’s boring, and we’re nowhere near Italy. I like to think of this place as a hidden gem of sorts,” Soonyoung moves from sitting, to lying on his back, arms folded behind his head. “There’s so much to do, so much to explore. It’s like time stands still here, and we’re not as engrossed by social media and technology as the rest of the world is. Maybe it’s some small town aesthetic, but I really do believe this place is special, you just have to dig a little deeper.”

 

“You talk a lot,” Mingyu finds himself speaking his thoughts, “but it’s not really a bad thing. I’m usually the one talking, but it’s nice to listen.”

 

“Thank you?” Propping himself up on his elbows, Soonyoung looks at Mingyu and for once he’s not wearing his bright smile, but a slightly confused look.

 

“I just, you’re different from my friends back home, but it’s nice.” That silly crooked smile nervously dances across Mingyu’s features and Soonyoung’s face relaxes.

 

“Oh.”

 

“Also, I’m here because my dad had some sort of mid-life crisis and decided to drag my ass up with him before I left for college,” he pauses and then follows in Soonyoung’s footsteps by lying down and resting his head on his arms. The sky is nearly covered by puffy grey clouds, but the sun peaks through them every so often. “Some sort of bullshit father and son bonding trip, but like, a really long one.”

 

“Ah.”

 

For the first time since he stepped into the book store, Mingyu finally gets to do all of the talking, and Soonyoung listens. Both lie with their heads resting on their hands while Soonyoung looks over from time to time to show that he's still interested in what the other has to say. A few short answers are exchanged where Mingyu finds that Soonyoung’s grown up in this small and now slightly charming town. They share the same interest in books as well as extremely cheesy action movies. Soonyoung listens to Mingyu talk about his mother’s divorce and how he had to leave his friends in order to help his dad through his grief in more thorough detail than earlier discussed. It’s almost alarming how easily Mingyu is able to open up to someone so new, but on the other hand, he doesn’t have anyone else in this town, so he might as well find a friend while he’s at it.

 

An hour or so goes by, but who’s really counting?

 

_Buzz. Buzz._

 

Apparently his father.

 

 **Pops:** where r u? thought u’d be back by now

 

“Shit,” Mingyu types a reply saying that he’ll be home soon, and slides his phone back into his pocket. “Hey, I gotta go. I’m sorry, but I think my dad wants me home.”

 

“No worries, I’ve had fun! I’ll just go back to bothering Seokmin.” That bright and sunshine-like smile returns to Soonyoung’s face and Mingyu feels himself go a little soft. A smile shouldn’t be able to do that to him, and yet it has.

 

“I’ll see you around?” Mingyu asks, hope drenched in his tone.

 

Soonyoung nods.

 

\--

 

The door is locked when Mingyu returns home, and he realizes that he didn’t ask for a key before he left. Since the sun is now fading into the night, the temperatures have dropped, and Mingyu can feel himself shivering.

 

A few knocks on the door and Mingyu waits for a reply. Nothing. A ring of the doorbell, what an obnoxious song it plays, and he sees his father’s figure walking in front of the distorted glass, or what he hopes is his father. He needs to stop binge watching those suspenseful slasher films before bed because they’re starting to mess with his head now. Thankfully, it’s his dad, and he walks in quickly to get back into warmth.

 

Flames from the fireplace keep the living room toasty, and he’s thankful that his father isn’t worried about gas and electricity bills. Hopefully it won’t stay so cold at night for much longer, since he now is interested in going on late night adventures with some new friends that he might be able to make. In just a few hours, his outlook on his vacation has changed, and it’s nice to finally not be upset.

 

“What’d you do out there?” Asks Mingyu’s dad. “I know you definitely weren’t avoiding helping your poor old dad unpack, right?”

 

“I-uh,” In all honesty, Mingyu didn't want to be stuck in a stuffy old house getting sweaty while unpacking most of his dad’s stuff. He already unpacked his own shit, so why his dad’s? Well, yes, he’s family, and his elder, so he should be respected, but Mingyu’s already sacrificed so much for his dad, that he wasn’t really thinking about it.

 

“Ah, don’t worry kiddo,” His dad turns and smiles as he heads to the kitchen. “Just yankin your tail.”

 

Dear lord, what an embarrassing father figure. Mingyu cringes at what his dad says a lot of the time. Do dads sign some kind of pact where they have to suddenly start telling horrible jokes and using _dad vocabulary_? How can every dad on the planet act like this? They must be on some strange sort of brain wavelength as soon as they find out they’re having a baby.

 

Seating himself on the couch by the fire, Mingyu pulls a small book from his coat pocket that he had placed on his way home, and begins to read. There’s not much inside of the small pages, since it’s a little informational booklet on the town, but he might as well get himself familiarized with area.

 

“Mingyu come wash up and help me with dinner!”

 

Cooking has a tendency to keep him in a good mood, so he decides to ditch the book for a later time.

  
He has his whole summer.


	2. Part 2: Sunset Station

A couple of weeks pass, and Mingyu finds himself sitting in the reading nook that rests inside of the upstairs hallway. The shelves are now scattered with books here and there from his first day in town, and each recommendation is better than the last. Pages turn so quickly, and Mingyu’s nearly lost track of which day it is. At this point he's begun feeling like that bookworm friend of his, Wonwoo, from back home. Father-son bonding doesn’t really feel like father-son bonding since all his dad has been doing is watch baseball and take naps. So, he immerses himself in the adventures of the far off travelers and mysterious paintings that make humans immortal. What makes these little ventures intensely intriguing are the dire consequences attached to each journey. It all takes his mind off of the constant nagging in the back of his mind that tells him to try and be productive with his father.

 

Books are nice, and he’s feeling his time pass by quickly, but maybe his hopes for a better summer were just a one day thought? His dad doesn't do much and never asks if he wants a dinner out together. They’re drifting away from each other every day, like the boats that sail across the lake’s water until they look like little dots on glass. The routine is becoming too repetitive for Mingyu’s short attention span to handle much more of, so he bookmarks his spot in Gulliver's Travels, and heads into his room to make himself look somewhat presentable.

 

Being alone is not Mingyu’s forté, so while he might want to look in his best appearance, he figures a simple tee and light washed jeans will be enough for today. After a few minutes have been spent fluffing his hair, he splashes some water on his face and heads downstairs.

 

“I’m going out!” Mingyu calls to his father as he grabs the car keys off of the key rack. He sighs as he looks over to his father in the living room, sitting in the same chair he’s been in nearly every day since they’ve arrived; eyes glued mindlessly to the tv with a beer in one hand.

 

“Alright, just be back before dinner! Chinese take-out sound good?”

 

Mingyu rolls his eyes and replies, “We’re not in the city anymore, try again.”

 

His father waves his hand, dismissing Mingyu’s comment. “Just pick something up on your way back. Be home by seven.”

 

The car door slams shut and Mingyu slides himself into the driver’s seat, agitated and ready to escape the confinement of his father’s lake house nightmare. If he were to be honest with himself, the house wasn’t  _ that  _ bad, he’s just stuck in the same spot every day, and his ass is beginning to hurt from the thin cushion on the little nook seat.

 

In the comfort of the car’s cooling leather seats, he begins to relax, and the irritation clamping his muscles together slowly loosens in his shoulder. He turns on the car and pulls slowly out of the parking lot, following his memory toward the bridge, and the vintage shoppes of old towne Florence. 

 

With a look into the rearview mirror, Mingyu releases a sigh of discontent. What he had thought was a semi-put together look, had really been clean basic clothing, the darkest circles he thinks he might’ve ever seen in his life, and a rat’s nest for hair. Not just twenty minutes ago, he swears he could’ve run his fingers through with minimal trouble, but then again, it might’ve been his imagination. Now, his fingers get trapped in tight knots he never knew existed. After a quick whiff of his armpits, smelling fresh enough to continue with his day, he shrugs, then steps out of his car and into the same parking lot he had acquainted himself with a few weeks prior.

 

The sun is shining down on his back, and the humidity isn’t helping Mingyu’s confidence in his cleanliness, but in all honesty, what’s a little sweat going to do? Surely book boy wouldn’t mind, what with his constantly clammy grip nearly always attached to Mingyu’s wrist. 

 

Who's Mingyu kidding? They’ve spent a couple of hours together, and while it had been a wonderful experience as it was happening, it was only once. Soonyoung might not even be working today. He just came to the store on a whim, and a stupid one at there. There are still books unread on his shelf so why would he possibly have a reason to come to the store again? Now, these constant naggings that bombard Mingyu’s head have him stopping in his tracks, contemplating on whether he should move his feet back into the car, or if he should simply just suck it up and continue forward. 

 

Gravel around his feet lies still, then crunches as Mingyu takes a few more steps forward, leading himself to the sidewalk. There doesn't seem to be an apparent threat from cars passing on the road since he swears to himself there there’s less than five thousand people living in this town. If there was a cop— _ is there even a police station in this town? _ —he might’ve been yelled at for jaywalking, but he risks it anyway and ends up with his hand resting on the warm metal front doorknob of Books n’ Bears. 

 

His heart feels like it might pack up its bags and jump straight out of his butt, and his stomach is beginning to make a turn toward his front door. It’s just a boy who works at a bookstore whom of which he’s only hung out with one time. Damn, when did he start acting so  _ gay _ ? Probably when he saw that little sparkle in Soonyoung’s eye just as soon as the boy laughed.

 

“Dammit Kim Mingyu, snap the hell out of it,” he mutters to himself as he grips the door handle tightly and turns it, trying to open it and— “What the shit?!” At three in the afternoon on a Wednesday, the store is closed without a sign of warning. 

 

_ Can the shops here even afford to shut down early with the lack of customers they probably already receive? _ This notion seems so preposterous that MIngyu finds himself pouting and ready to riot. Maybe not riot, but write a strongly worded letter that he will seal up, put a stamp on, then rip up and never send. As he has been told time and time again, confrontation is not his strongest suit, unless it's toward Minghao. 

 

Once he begins to turn his body, the door opens, rings, and two clammy hands attach to his wrists, pulling him rapidly into the the bookstore. In a whirl, the blinds are closed, he’s yanked to the ground, and a flashlight turns on—nearly blinding Mingyu in the process. Two chubby cheeks attached to twinkling eyes set heavy and hard on an article in front of them seem to be the reason why Mingyu’s stuck in this makeshift bookstore hideout.

 

A whisper, or at least a poor attempt at one, falls out of Soonyoung’s mouth. “I’ve shut down the store today because I’m on the hunt for the mysterious wonders of Twilight Town.”

 

Mingyu lets out some weird mixture of a chuckle and a scoff, resulting in him nearly choking on his own spit. After clearing his throat, he speaks his mind. “That’s ridiculous, there’s no such thing as mysterious wonders, especially not in this town.”

 

Soonyoung rolls his eyes and closes the article. “LIsten. It might not be  _ exactly _ in this town, but it’s the next train stop over at Sunset Station.” Lifting his body up, Soonyoung walks to the nearest lamp and turns it on, once again blinding Mingyu. “That area has been nearly deserted for almost twenty years, but the stop still remains because people have been trying to solve the mysteries that surround it.”

 

“What’s so cool about it? And why is it empty? Why would everyone just get up and leave?” Mingyu’s brow furrows, showing his confusion and intrigue. 

 

“Okay just slow down there for a second kiddo.” A gentle pat on Mingyu’s back comes from Soonyoung as he smiles that genuinely squishable smile. 

 

What a strange feeling Mingyu gets when he sees that smile; eyes that shine so brightly in a room lit by only a small lamp. Maybe if he just breathes in slowly and counts to ten, the butterflies in his stomach threatening to fly straight out of his mouth will dissipate and he’ll be able to communicate better with more than just head nods, awkward stares, and an over abundance of questions about an abandoned town. 

 

Soonyoung sits back on the ground next to Mingyu, legs stretched out in front of him. They’re covered by tattered dark wash jeans that pair well with his blue and white striped top that he has tucked in sloppily around the from. Cool and simple clothing attached to light golden skin and chestnut brown hair. What a perfect combination. 

 

“Legend has it that some old crazy lady cursed the town and created these strange happenings throughout the area.” As he speaks, he pulls up the article. 

 

“That doesn’t make sense. 20 years ago was, like, the 90’s, dude. How could she put a curse on a whole town of angsty punk ridden children?” 

 

Soonyoung closes the article once more and deadpans to a couple of bears like Jim from The Office, but remains silent. 

 

A light shove is given to Soonyoung’s shoulder by Mingyu’s strangely large hands, releasing the boy from his far off stare and back into reality. Soonyoung crosses his arms and eyes Mingyu up and down. He reaches up and attempts to run his fingers through Mingyu’s matted locks.

 

“You know, you should watch what you say because you surely remind me of an angsty punk ridden child with your hair in this messy glob.” With a few tugs of his fingers, he’s able to dematt some of the tangles. Soonyoung then pulls pieces this way and that until Mingyu is somewhat better cleaned up and presentable. He stands up and places his hand out for Mingyu to take. Accepting his offer, Mingyu feels that he’s suggesting there’s something more behind this simple gesture.

 

“So,” Mingyu begins timidly, “what  _ exactly _ are you planning?” Soonyoung’s eyes darken with excitement and Mingyu knows what he’s about to say, but doesn’t want to accept it. “No. No way am I going to a creepy abandoned town!”

 

“Don’t be such a wimpy weiner.” Soonyoung tugs at Mingyu’s wrist like a toddler trying to convince their mom to buy them a gumball from those germ ridden containers at the mall. “It’ll be fun!”

 

Mingyu pulls away from Soonyoung’s weak grasp while furiously shaking his head ‘no’.

 

“You never know if you don’t try just once. Come  _ on. _ ”

 

Walls break down between Mingyu and Soonyoung; Mingyu’s shoulders slump in defeat and he begins to accept his imminent death from this upcoming train trip. Soonyoung jingles his keys and they make a sweet chiming noise, beckoning Mingyu to follow the other outside and onto the sidewalk. He kicks the soles of his shoes lightly onto the sidewalk, carelessly wearing down the rubber. 

 

A loud click and jingle of keys signals to Mingyu that it might be their time to exit onto his disappointing adventure. Seeing as Soonyoung is excited for the trip though, maybe it won't be disappointing for him, but the current pounding of Mingyu’s heart is no longer due to the close proximity between the two boys. 

 

What if there were to be a zombie virus outbreak and the only way of containing it was to create a decoy town? What if there was a spill of toxic waste causing spikes of radiation in the surrounding area? What if it’s some government hideout and they need a password to enter or they’ll be terminated? A multitude of preposterous ideas pack their way into Mingyu’s mind until he’s sweating a little too much for his thin application of deodorant to handle.

 

“The train station is just around the corner,” says Soonyoung as he begins to walk down the sidewalk. 

 

Reluctantly, Mingyu follows. “Isn’t everything in this rinky dink town just around the corner?”

 

“Touché.”

 

It’s become a habit for Mingyu to shove his hands in his pockets as he walks over the years. There’s not much of a reason for it either, since the motion isn’t too comfortable unless he’s wearing a jacket or hoodie. His whole goal in life might just be to be as uncomfortable as possible all of the time, and if this is true, then he’s definitely succeeded.

 

They walk past a creepy old doll shop, the ice cream shop, the post office, and many buildings without signs, but ones which were clearly open for business. Most of the shops looked like antique stores and Mingyu figures there must be an abundance of old people living here in order to supply all of these ancient relics. Hell, some of these old people might be old enough to be relics themselves. 

 

On a day when his father decided to escape the confines of his living room, they set out to buy a few grocery store items. The weather had begun to lose it’s gloomy touch, and Mingyu had just finished reading A Clockwork Orange.

 

His brain really needed a break.

 

Normally in any grocery store, there are older people and younger people, families and singles, out and about in the aisles, but this place was a completely different hell. Inside, grandmas and grandpas were zooming through the aisles in their electric wheelchairs, walkers, or constantly hitting others with their carts. Everything was either complete madness or entirely too slow and there was no way to move around them because they took up the whole damn aisle. In the one aisle filled with pet care essentials, an elderly woman asked for his help because she couldn't reach the top shelf. After grabbing the cat food from him, the woman pinched his cheek and told him that she has a beautiful granddaughter he should meet. His ass nearly broke into a sprint to get back to his father.

 

Mingyu shivers at the memory and can’t willingly see himself going grocery shopping with his dad ever again. He’d have to have a damn good argument in order to convince Mingyu to attend. Then again, he’s spending his entire summer doing nothing but reading and heading out to a creepy abandoned town because his dad convinced him to, so he sees himself ultimately losing this battle.

 

“Earth to astronaut!” Soonyoung waves his arm in front of Mingyu, nearly smacking him in the face in the process. “Have you been listening to my rant about the Bee movie?”

 

“Uh,” Mingyu pauses and thinks about what he’s absorbed from the muffled voice of Soonyoung as his mind had been somewhere else. “No?”

 

Soonyoung throws his hands up in defeat. “I might as well be talking to a damn tree! Well, I mean I kind of am, but that’s beside the point. The point is, how the hell did that grown woman fall in love with a Jerry Seinfeld bee?”

 

The boys walk up to the train station ticketing area as Soonyoung continues to rant. “I know bees are dying at an alarming rate, but I don’t think — two tickets to Sunset station please—” Soonyoung hands the money to the woman who looks nearly bored to tears behind the glass, and continues to speak on the topic. “I don’t think that it’s really possible to be in love with a damn bee!”

 

“People love their dogs, well I’m hoping more in a friendship way than a lover way,” Mingyu has once again shoved his massive foot into his mouth. “But is it not possible to love a bee the way you love a dog?”

 

“I don’t think you get it,” Soonyoung sits on a bench and Mingyu follows in suit. “He had an entire fantasy sequence where he was out on a picnic date with him, and she flew a plane with that little smoke stuff and made a heart. If that isn’t creepy, I don’t know what is.”

 

“I mean, this town you’re taking me to...?” Suggests Mingyu.

 

“Well, you turned down my offer so quickly, that I wasn’t able to tell you all of the wonders of this place.” Soonyoung gives Mingyu a half-hearted glare before continuing. “While you think this place is scary and haunted, it is said to be quite the opposite. There are mysterious shadows, strange moving objects and other wild experiences to be had while over there.”

 

Slowly, Mingyu nods his head, and begins to think that maybe this idea isn’t as insane as it had initially sounded. Then again, moving objects, shadows, and wild experiences sound much like a poltergeist. But whatever. A little exorcism won't kill him, right? He’s been stuck inside of his vacation house for so long, that maybe it’s time for him to live a little and just say ‘fuck it’. When has he ever gone outside of his comfort zone? He’s stayed in the same city with his same group of friends, doing the same things, for as long as he could remember. Something new and refreshing might be just what he needs to turn his attitude around. Ever since he met Soonyoung, nearly everything seems new and refreshing. A smaller tall glass of cooling lemonade on a summer’s day wrapped up with a handsome smile and round cheeks.

 

Sounds of rumbling and movement come from down the way as the train comes into view. It slows and the doors open letting the few people who are planning on spending their lives in the town, off. Soonyoung gets up and Mingyu follows once again as he seems to always do. Tickets are presented, scanned, and suddenly they’re sitting side by side silently. 

 

Somehow their posture is off. Stiff. Uncomfortable. They’ve sat together before but this feels weird. Mingyu clears his throat to ease the random awkward tension. “So…”

 

“So… what?” Soonyoung shifts his weight but continues to look uneasy.

 

“So what are some of the wonders people talk about?” A fantastic ice breaker. A absolutely wonderful ice breaker. It’s as if the past hour hadn’t been about this place and the wonders it holds. Might as well bring it up for the millionth time, and maybe pull out an actual answer for once.

 

“Some of it is obvious but some I like to think of as unsolved mysteries.” The tightness in Soonyoung’s position lessons and he turns to look up at Mingyu. “Steps that change when you go up or down them. Weird moans from the tunnels underneath the city. There have been rare sightings of a runaway ghost train that leads to nowhere if you sit on top of Sunset Hill  _ at _ sunset.” Soonyoung pulls out a lollipop from his pocket, unwraps it and sticks it into his mouth. A small bump protrudes from his cheek and Mingyu has half a mind to poke it back into place

 

“The more you talk about it, the more it sounds haunted and some type of demon ass bitch drove everyone out of the town.”

 

Soft and clammy fingers cup over Mingyu’s mouth with haste. “Watch your mouth kiddo! There could be kids around!” 

 

With a quick and light slap to Soonyoung’s dainty wrist, Mingyu’s mouth breaks free of it’s sweaty jail. Turning his head around, he scans the rows with intent, only to find that they are the only one’s on the train. Another slap hits Soonyoung and this time it’s to his shoulder, making his head hit the side of the train.

 

“Ow! Shit!” He rubs his injured head in an overdone manner, dragging out his light hit for long as he can. The lollipop in his mouth nearly falls out but Soonyoung manages to catch the red sucker at the last moment. His tongue darts out and Mingyu’s eyes follow the plump sticky lips that engulf the sweet treat again. A lump forms in Mingyu’s throat as he continues to stare at the shine of saliva from the pop extravaganza. Gravel piles up and his swallows are harder to continue. With much determination, Mingyu rips his gaze away; invisible strings still urging his eyes to turn around at the softest pink he thinks he might’ve ever seen. 

 

When Mingyu finally turns around, he finds Soonyoung lost in his own world, staring outside of his passenger side window. From the outside light, the slightest twinkle hits Soonyoung’s dark irises and nearly blinds Mingyu. He’s so lost in his own thoughts and excitement that he loses sight of what’s surrounding him. There's a piece of Mingyu that longs to have that childlike wonder back into his life, but through the years, he feels himself turning into a dull pencil, just like his father. 

 

“Question,” Mingyu pipes up, and Soonyoung’s glimmering eyes snap back into reality. “How old are you? I don’t think I’ve asked.”

 

Soonyoung digs through his pocket and reveals his wallet—tattered brown leather struggling to keep the contents inside. He shuffles through a few pockets and takes out a fake looking paper license. “According to my Autopia driver’s license, I will not be born until 2066.” White teeth burst into view as he smiles at his own joke. The silence between them is due to Mingyu’s inability to coherently form words due to the horrendous joke Soonyoung attempted to make.

 

A frown stamps itself onto Soonyoung’s face creating ugly lines that Mingyu so desperately wants to smear away with his thumb. In a sudden act of confidence, Mingyu cups Soonyoung’s softly structured chin and tugs Soonyoung’s bottom lip out with his thumb until he’s in full baby pout mode. The furrow in Soonyoung’s eyebrow is still prominent, but it doesn’t Mingyu feel as suffocated as before. 

 

“I think I’m hilarious, thank you very much.” His soft chocolate locks sway as he shakes his head away from Mingyu’s concerned stare. Sweet and light giggles burst from his lips and the sound rings in Mingyu’s ears the way knives on champagne flutes pull him out of conversation at weddings. 

 

“What is it?” Now the tables have turned and MIngyu is now the sad pouting child, only very tall, and a little unconvincing.

 

“Just thought of a meme.” Bright and upturned eyes line with tears as he starts to release a full on burst of laughter, hunching over and slapping his knee—truly a sight to behold. A few ragged breaths are all that seems to be left of him until he composes himself. 

 

“Must have been one hell of a meme,” Mingyu speaks to himself quietly.

 

Messy deep brown locks are pushed back by sunkissed fingers exposing a dewy looking forehead. A thin sheen of sweat sticks a few strands to the sides of his temples, but he somehow pulls it off well. “Oh, it was, but I don’t think I’ll show you until I know what you  _ meme _ to me.”

 

Jim from the office is would be proud of Mingyu if his character were real because if there were a fourth wall in life, Mingyu would be bursting through it with his strong and powerful tree-branch arms. “Oh my God.”

 

“Shit, sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” Soonyoung scratches the back of his head and looks down at his knees, away from the dark judging eyes boring holes into his skull. “I’m 19 by the way, as of a few weeks ago.”

 

There have been moments when Mingyu has tried to figure out Soonyoung’s age, but each time, he would become confused by his full cheeks and chubby smile. He’s also moderately smaller in size than Mingyu, but then again, most generally are. Maybe it’s the abundance of energy that he displays whenever he’s interacting with anyone at all. Whatever it was, has been pushed aside to leave Mingyu slightly bitter that he isn’t older.

 

“You look younger than me sometimes, but I can’t put my finger on why,” states Mingyu as he taps his finger mindlessly against his knee. “I’m 18, just in case you were gonna ask.”

 

“Well, 18, as always, it’s been a pleasure spending time with you, but I think our train is coming to a stop.” Wheels on tracks become louder as their motions slow until they screech and stop. 

 

Outside of the window lies a dusty and rickety looking train station, many years abandoned. Wooden beams hang loosely, threatening to fall at any moment, and wildlife has grown in and out of the floorboards, turning the dead stop into a new source of life. Most abandoned places omit an irie vibe, but with the multitude of the plants bursting through the seams, it’s kind of welcoming. 

 

Soonyoung steps onto the platform, wood creaking as it threatens to give way under his feet. He holds his hand out for Mingyu to take, but Mingyu dismisses it; jumping heavily onto the rotted wood. A few small pieces crack here and there but somehow the straining wood underneath his large frame keeps itself from completely crumbling. After a few hops and steps further, he decides that it is strong enough for his standards and drops the tightness in his shoulders he hadn’t realized he’d been so easily displaying. On the other side of the spectrum, Soonyoung skips lightly across the rickety floorboards until he makes one great leap off of the edge and onto the overgrown lawn area.

 

Cautiously, Mingyu follows, a few steps behind, but close enough to smell the sweet lemongrass and honey scent wafting off of Soonyoung’s skin; skin that looks like his scent, lightly caramelizing in the gentle rays of the sun. If he could muster up any sort of comparison to the way Soonyoung walks, talks, smiles, or carries himself, he would. The closest he could get would be laying out on a lawn chair during a warm day while sipping on iced tea that’s almost too sweet to handle, but somehow he can’t stop drinking it.

 

The area itself isn’t too strange of a place once they pass through the overgrown plants since there’s so much cobblestone and asphalt covering the area. Interlockings of buildings, streets, and the entirety of the town are bound by cement, stone walkways, bricks, and adobe style houses. What’s completely unheard of and entirely unfamiliar is the lack of extraneous tagging there should be on each surface. Abandoned areas are perfect spots for the common hooligan to spray paint, so why would this empty canvas remain so untouched? From what Mingyu can see, it’s mostly a sea of brown with a mixture of tan that doesn’t expand too far. On the other side of the town lies a tall grassy hill, warm and inviting in the mid-afternoon light. Overall, the area is dusty, monotonous, and not nearly as spine-chilling as Mingyu had originally pegged it to be.

 

“So,” Mingyu dusts off his already clean hands on his jeans uncomfortably and a bit too loud. “What are we gonna look for first?”

 

“You see those steps over there?” Soonyoung’s arm stretches out and points strictly at a set of stairs near the center of the town. “People say they change numbers when you walk up and down.”

 

“How do steps change numbers? That doesn’t even make sense.” Scoffs Mingyu as he walks along the cobblestone.

 

“Okay, so, say you’re walking up and you count fifteen, but when you walk down you count fourteen.” Soonyoung wiggles his brows in a ridiculous way and Mingyu’s smile begins to see the light of day for the first time in at least the past half hour—a record it seems when he’s around this bookstore boy.

 

“Alright… sounds fake… but alright…” Mingyu kicks at the dusty and uneven walkway lazily until they reach the set of supposedly mysterious stairs. The steps are cracked and rugged; worn down from the multiple testing of others who have come to experience idiocy.

 

“No. Just like, ugh,” Soonyoung rakes his fingers through his hair, somewhat irritated, and yanks out whatever knots he has. Pieces stick out messily but he doesn’t have the patience to pat it all back down again. “Just  _ try  _ it.” His eyes are large, and pleading as he looks up toward Mingyu. “You know what? I’ll do it myself.”

 

With determination set in his hard stance, Soonyoung harshly tucks the front end of his shirt in, and begins to count eat step under his breath. His line of vision is like a hawk piercing into its prey—if the prey were overused and unkempt steps. The weight of his feet hitting the ground sounds harsher than the normally sweet and swift melodic taps dancing through Mingyu’s ears. It doesn’t turn him away, but only intrigues the tall boy as he intently watches Soonyoung. 

 

Rounding the top of the stairs, Soonyoung stops, sets his hands harshly on his hips and takes a multitude of deep breaths. He’s definitely making a scene if that’s the main goal of this entire event. A peek of collar bone, glistening by a light layer of sweat, can be seen as his shirt shifts from the up and down movement of his shoulders. Mingyu notes that his shoulders aren’t very shelf-like as his own tend to be, but they’re soft, narrow, and at the perfect angle; it would be an ideal resting place for his head. There’s the issue of getting a kink in his neck since the other is so much shorter, but he thinks he might just deal with it. 

 

“Thirty five!” Shouts Soonyoung with hands cupped around his mouth.

 

A nod is given by Mingyu as approval for his continuation and he begins down the stairs; face set in the same determination as before. This must be some large elaborate scam thought up by the wild imagination of some boy, bored to death by his non-existent customers inside of a book store. Who else would be so entirely obsessed with finding different numbers when racing up and down a couple of steps. 

 

Come to think of it, Mingyu hasn’t really noticed a change or difference in the way the stairs have been developed. They haven’t shifted from side to side like the staircases of Hogwarts, or haven’t morphed into a somewhat shorter or longer version of themselves. It stays still and unmoving, therefore the people who have been going up and down these dirty worn-down steps, have somehow tricked their minds into some placebo effect, making them miscount each time. Lord knows how many steps there actually are, and for millionth time today, Mingyu concludes this to be his answer, just a flipped switch to fool the mind. 

 

“Thirty three!” Soonyoung shouts energetically and he shoots his fists into the sky like New Year’s fireworks. He tumbles toward Mingyu until sturdy hands level his spinning head. 

 

Serious and acute eyes bore into Soonyoung’s aloof and glistening ones. A few waves into the shorter’s spacey stare and he squeezes his eyes shut, pulling himself together once again. 

 

“Are you sure you didn’t miscount?” asks Mingyu once Soonyoung seems to have the puzzle pieces of his mind sewn together. “You could’ve easily just tricked your mind into it.”

 

Soonyoung turns body from Mingyu’s, drooping his head idly down toward to chalky cobblestone below. In an instant, Mingyu’s hands fall dully to his sides, not unlike his the constant bombarding of butterflies in his stomach, reminding him where he should be keeping his hands at all times—to himself.

 

Through panting breaths, Soonyoung flattens his hair out, and rolls up his sleeves a bit, revealing yet again, more shimmering skin. Sweat has never looked better on anyone else, and Mingyu can’t keep his eyes from targeting each bead as it falls and outlines the thin and light details of his triceps and down toward his elbow. Watching Soonyoung’s perspiration fall feels like watching the rain in the car as a child slowly fall, melodically, until the moment he would drift off to sleep.

 

Book boy waves his shirt wildly as an attempt to fan himself off as he turns back around to face Mingyu. 

 

“Maybe it was a mistake coming here, yeah?” He halts fanning himself and walks toward Mingyu, a porcelain smile is painted falsely across his face, and it doesn’t make his eyes shine quite like his normal ones do.  “This whole place is just a bunch of articles claiming it has mysterious qualities without fact based evidence to back it up.”

 

Mingyu takes a step closer with caution, careful not to accidentally touch the delicate cargo ahead. 

 

“Damn,” Soonyoung breathes, so tenderly it is almost mistaken as a whisper by Mingyu’s ears. Just like Christmas lights being plugged in for the first time, the dark,looming, and nothing interesting sky, brightens boldly through Soonyoung’s eyes nearly bursting through Mingyu’s pupils like knives. “Oh well! At least the train ride was nice! Right?” 

 

No.

 

This is wrong.

 

They should be onto their next adventure in this empty town. All of the unsolved happenings that Soonyoung’s spoken of in this area can’t be brushed off so easily. If they aren’t looking for mysteries, they should make something of the few hours they have left until the train comes to pick them up, or at least that’s where Mingyu’s onslaught of thoughts is rumbling off to. 

 

“Hey,” starts Mingyu as he walks over and gently sits himself on one of the stairs. “We’re here for a couple of hours.” A motion of his head cocking slightly to the right is enough indication for Soonyoung to follow suit and seat himself on the step. “Why don’t we play a game or something?”

 

“Like when we were kids?” Soft all-consuming eyes dazzle as they dance their way up to meet Mingyu’s heavy yet friendly gaze. A crooked and delicate smile pulls at the edges of Soonyoung’s mouth and it somehow manages to look vibrant. 

 

“No, like what we’ll play when we’re old, like fucking bingo or some shit.” A light shove from Mingyu’s elbow delivers a hit against Soonyoung’s side, causing a release of the wind chime type giggles to erupt from the older’s delicate mouth. “Of  _ course _ like when we were kids.” His long arms gesture out toward the deserted town and around, as if to speak without words, but Soonyoung’s blank stare has him dishing out more of his thoughts than he’d initially planned. “Look at all of this. It’s a bitchin’ place for hide and seek!”

 

“Oh!” Soonyoung’s eyes blow wide as his the cogs in his mind turn in top speed; planning where his hiding nook will be. His usual gentle and charming look stabs harshly, through Mingyu’s balance, and frankly, his attention to anything but the soft and supple looking texture of Soonyoung’s lips has been chucked with incredible force out of his brain and into a dimension of sound, sight, mind, shadow, substance, things, and ideas. 

 

“Rock, paper, scissors, then?” Soonyoung directs his question to the nearly blank page that is Kim Mingyu. Words gently float in one ear and stop as they reach the other when Mingyu finally realizes what is being said. A swift nod is enough, and they raise their fists for their ultimate battle. “Winner gets to hide.”

 

Short and sweet is how their ‘fight to the death’, plays out, for Mingyu pulls out his two fingers in the shape of a ‘v’ while Soonyoung’s flub of his flattened pancake paper hand costs him the win. It’s riveting, it’s exciting, the victor’s pride bursts with the jolting electricity of a million energizer bunnies.

 

If only this was the case for the insides of the victor. Unfortunately, Mingyu’s slight fear of the dark and attempting to fit his large frame into tiny spaces has his insides clawing for the sweet release of death. It only takes one time of being trapped in a zip up duffle bag to scar a boy for life into complete claustrophobia. Maybe, if he’s lucky enough, he can just find a shadow and hide in a corner until the moment arises when he can pounce and terrify his seeker. 

 

Small fingers cup over Soonyoung’s eyes and soft numbers can be heard flowing out into the empty streets.

 

Numbers?!

 

Time is already ticking and he only has sixty, fifty-nine, fifty-eight, seconds until he’s destined to lose. Act quickly or accept the oncoming death headed his way from how sore of a loser he becomes after nearly every competition. 

 

In a scurry, Mingyu scrambles to his feet and jets off toward some abandoned house he’s been eyeing at the end of the street. He gives a quick wink off toward the heavens, thanking whatever powerful being blessed him with such long legs. 

 

Scuffs from his canvas shoes that offer no support whatsoever sound loudly, and it’s painfully obvious which direction he’s heading. Soonyoung must have some sort of idea mapped out in his brain, but then again, trying to think of anything else other than counting when counting backwards, is extremely difficult and doesn’t usually end up too well. With a sliver of hope, Mingyu timidly kicks the door with his large foot, resulting in a creaking welcoming.

 

Inside, cobwebs are highlighted by the beams of incoming sun, swaying from a breeze that hasn’t seemed to have touched these walls in quite some time. Wallpaper, most likely from the 50s, is cracked, flaking, and peeling along the insides of the house—it looks to be as if it were some tacky orange color that has faded to a color somewhere in between dreamsicle and a tangerine marker that’s nearly dried out. Most of the furniture probably would’ve been busted and covered in a Mt. Everest’s worth of dust by now if it hadn’t been jacked by visitors or taken when the citizens left. One framed painting of dogs playing poker hangs crookedly above the mantel of a fireplace and it’s a shame that such a masterpiece would be the only thing left inside of this house.

 

“One! Zero!” The soft and high tones of Soonyoung’s voice echo lightly throughout the area. “Ready or not, eat my snot!” 

 

Rubber soles of dirty tennis shoes sound noisily against the cobblestone, but they’re getting noisier as they head in Mingyu’s direction.

 

Still standing in the middle of the abandoned house’s living room, the tall dumb idiot hasn’t even found a hiding space. The door is nearly wide open, and he’s almost in plain sight. What better way to hide? Well, Mingyu could name a much better way to hide, in fact, he could name a multitude of places which are better to hide, but his headass has decided to stick himself in the least hidable area possible.

 

It’s never too late for Plan B, so that’s what Mingyu attempts to do as he yanks the crooked painting of poker playing dogs off of the wall and crawls into the fireplace. His lanky limbs struggle to fit in the base, but as soon as he gets everything in but his arms, he places the painting in front of the opening in hopes that it covers most of the gap. Unfortunately, there’s a large crack left open, but Mingyu doesn’t have time to stress over the details since the sound of feet nearing his location beats heavily into his ear drums, nearly bursting his sense of sound on the spot. Soot sits in thick layers along the brick of the fireplace and he can feel his body turning into one giant black smeared mess by the second as he sits, squatting in the tight squarespace. 

 

Too damn obvious. Hiding behind the only piece of decoration in the only spot available for shelter, in the only house with a door open because his stupid brain was too distracted to even close it before climbing into an area that’s causing the arches of his feet to ache. The crack between the top of the fireplace opening and the painting’s frame is much too wide and his hair can be seen in a warm the ray of sunshine peeking through the slit. However, this is better than being the normal foolish idiot he seems to always be, if he were to hide in plain sight. 

 

Yes. This will just have to do. 

 

Happy sounding footsteps skip up the two steps leading to the doorway—almost loud enough for Mingyu to feel his impending doom ringing through his ears. They’re heading toward his place of refuge at an alarming rate, giving the squashed lanky boy no time to react to hands reaching swiftly for the painting, chucking it across the floor—revealing the white and bouncy smile of Soonyoung revelling in his victory. His sweet and soft looking lips disappear into a row of square teeth, drowning in the chubbiness of his cheeks. One day Mingyu won’t be able to control his urges and he’ll pinch one of those squishy things—or maybe both of those squishy things; he hasn’t decided yet—knowing that he’ll receive a large smack on the head for doing so, but it will most definitely be worth it.

 

“What a dumb.” Soonyoung jokes while brushing off the painting’s dust from his jeans before offering a hand out to Mingyu.

 

“A dumb what?” Asks Mingyu while attempting to unfold his long limbs out from inside of the fireplace. As usual, Soonyoung’s hand is clammy yet comfortable.

 

“Just a dumb,” states Soonyoung as he shrugs. “Nothing more, nothing less. Just one single dumb. Maybe a big dumb sometimes, but just a singular dumb.”

 

A fumble here, a misstep there, and Mingyu somehow is able to struggle enough just to free himself from his soot covered cell. Tips of his fingers are covered in black, but the backs of his hands are fairly clean—not exactly ideal, but he’ll be able to wash it out of his pants if he brushes it off now, or at least he figures. 

 

“I mean look at you acting like a big dumb right now.” With a glint in his eye, Soonyoung steps forward and reaches for the messy locks of Mingyu’s dark hair. Maybe the clamminess of his smaller fingers can work their way through the dust and black ashes sticking to the back of his head. “You couldn’t even find a decent hiding spot. This was seriously the first place anyone would look?” 

 

After about a minute, Soonyoung’s hard work is finished, and Mingyu’s hair is back to its glory, if there had been any glory in the first place, that is. His hardened, concentrated eyes, fall back into their regular shining wonder as they meet Mingyu’s. 

 

Hot chocolate with Andes mints on a winter’s night is all Mingyu can use to describe how comforting the look Soonyoung is giving him right now. It’s such a simple look, with no bad intentions, just a nice welcome, an invitation of sorts. An invitation for what? An adventure? Check. A friendship? Check… well, maybe. An invitation for something more? Who the hell knows? Mingyu sure doesn’t, but his mind is running a never ending marathon while trying to figure out what those peppermint hot chocolate eyes are trying to say. 

 

“You know, for someone so handsome, you don’t really care much about your appearance do you?” Soonyoung quirks up a brow and places his hand on Mingyu’s cheek, while Mingyu takes some offence from his words. “You seriously have shit along the side of your face.”

 

“I think it’s actually pronounced  _ soot _ ,” smirks Mingyu in response.

 

“Whatever the hell you’re deciding to call it, is not pretty, so let’s just,” Soonyoung’s eyes set hard as he becomes concentrated once more, inching his way closer toward Mingyu’s face. Delicate breaths travel across Mingyu’s jawline, sparking something in his chest that makes his lungs hitch. There aren’t any fireworks within reach, so why does he feel the entire Fantasmic™ show bursting through his veins? He needs to stop. Push away. Move his line of sight to anywhere but Soonyoung’s elongated jaw line jutting up as he works on Mingyu’s messy face. 

 

“ _ J’ai fini _ !” Whatever intimate moment Mingyu thought was about to happen, disappears as quickly as it has flown in, for Soonyoung’s intense features have blurred out to it’s normal round and bouncy appearance. His eyes are gleaming with joy once again, and he looks so much younger than Mingyu knows he is. A childlike heart with kindness tugging at the seams. A rough thumb is no longer rubbing fireplace rubbish off of his face, and the hands Mingyu has a sudden itch to lace his fingers into linger at their owner’s sides.

 

“You know, there’s supposed to be a train that leads to nowhere when sunset hits if you’re watching it from the hill on the other side of town,” starts Soonyoung as he saunters off and out of the house. With lead feet, Mingyu follows along. “Our train leaves around that time, do you think it’s just a coincidence, or are we gonna go off into the abyss?” With one of the goofiest looks Mingyu swears he’s ever seen in his life, Soonyoung wiggles his eyebrows and releases yet another large smile. If Mingyu wasn’t stuck in this town with this boy, he would be plotting his escape.

 

That’s a lie. 

 

Some strange gravitational pull must have Mingyu orbiting around that big head of his because he can’t seem to escape. It’s nice, to just forget about what’s going on in the city, or even back at home with his robotic father staring at the tv all day.

 

“Seeing as my dad told me that I need to be home by sunset, if we don’t catch our train back, my ass will be kicked into the abyss.” 

 

With a hop to his step, Sooyoung wraps his small and chubby hands around Mingyu’s wrist and pulls him along the uneven street. “We’d better head back to the station then because our train’s probably on its way.” 

 

Hmm. If there is an expression to be used on how Mingyu’s heart feels, it’s not one of words, but more of the slanted face emoticon used when something doesn’t completely go one’s way. A piece of him wants to defy his father’s words and leap wholeheartedly up to the top of the vibrant green hill, dragging Soonyoung with him until they’ve reached a comfortable spot to watch the sunset. The other half of him longs desperately to go home because none of this is right and becoming attached to a summer fling, or whatever this is becoming, is irresponsible. Then again, when has Mingyu ever been responsible in his damn life? Most of the time his idiot friends, Junhui more than the others, pester him until he finally gives in because he just can’t seem to say no, so maybe just this once, he can hold off and not be caught up in such a twisted knot of feelings. 

 

Until this moment, he’s yet to appreciate Soonyoung’s hair completely; the way it bounces just as happily as the boy walks, and the way it looks so touchable as the wind lightly pushes it away from his forehead. The chestnut brown sings sweet harmonies of gold as the sun’s rays play music off of its delicate strings. Mingyu longs to fix the pieces that fall so helplessly over his eyes when Soonyoung looks at his hands. Instead he simply runs along with his arm still in the grasp of a sweaty palm and fingers. 

 

Whoever said trains were an effective way to travel must’ve never been on a bus because the damned thing hasn't arrived and the sun’s golden rays have fallen into hues of oranges and vibrant pinks. The once golden melodies floating off of Soonyoung’s hair have become a warm rendition of Tony Bennett's  _ Autumn Leaves _ . Embracingly warm chocolate locks. It’s a great view, but the great view could be better if there was a train on its way. 

 

“Do you think about living here your entire life?” asks Mingyu as he sits himself into one of the empty train car seats. 

 

“I mean, it’s comfortable and warm, like when a dog snuggles up to you or something. I don’t know how to explain it.” Soonyoung plays with the hem of his shirt for a bit, lost in his thoughts and contemplations. “I’ve thought about leaving, but Twilight Town is all I’ve ever known, ya know?”

 

“Yeah I get it.”

 

They sit impatiently, but more comfortably together on the train seats than they had when traveling to Sunset station. The quick and unsteady pumps of Mingyu’s fluttering heart remains the same. Silence hovers thick and sticky like molasses, but Mingyu has half a mind to blame it on the summer’s humid curse. 

 

“Remember that one episode of The  _ Twilight Zone™ _ when that one guy finds himself in an abandoned town?” Soonyoung raises a quizzical brow as Mingyu continues. “He seriously searches everywhere and nearly drives himself into insanity because he was the only one there. In the end he’s actually just hooked up to some strange scientific virtual reality machine.”

 

A slow, unemotional nod comes from Soonyoung’s blank face. Somehow Mingyu takes this as a cue to continue. 

 

“Anyway, that’s what Sunset Station felt like.”

 

Soonyoung sighs and shoves his hands into his pockets. “Can I tell you the truth?”

 

Mingyu nods. 

 

“I’ve never heard about the show you’re talking about.”

 

An overly-dramatic gasp from Mingyu just about startles Soonyoung out of his damn pants. 

 

“Bitch! I - uh. I mean, dude, bro. Um, dude-bro.” Mingyu shifts awkwardly in his chair in an attempt to regain his composure; a poor attempt at that. One hand raises then firmly juts down in front of him, but his stare is directed toward no one in particular. “Boi. How have you never heard of  _ The Twilight Zone™ _ ?!” Flustered fingers struggle harshly against the tight knots on his scalp. “It’s a classic! Like, everyone has seen at  _ least  _ one episode.”

 

Lazily, Soonyoung reaches into his back pocket and retrieves a stick of peppermint gum. “Take this, I think you need to cool down.”

 

“Now is not the time for puns, Soonyoung!” Mingyu’s heart is working itself into a big fit as he tries to figure out if he can continue this friendship or not. 

 

“Whoa, just take it easy man.” The mint from Soonyoung’s gum slows down the sprinting rhythm of Mingyu’s beating heart. Maybe it  _ was  _ the time for puns. “We still have half of the summer left. There’s a buncha time to just pig out and binge watch it or something, yeah?”

 

Another nod from Mingyu. Words are useless and unnecessary, so they keep the thick and sticky sweet silence between them once again. This time, more sweet than sticky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) I hope you can tell how much I love Kwon Soonyoung from this part. 2) This was my favorite section out of the four to write bc wowie I love Kingdom Hearts and how soft Mingyu is for Soonyoung. 3)Sorry for all of my memes and Disneyland references. Southern Californian; sue me. 4)I LOVE THE TWILIGHT ZONE. anyway comments are always welcome and I hope you enjoyed this section :D

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this for awhile and i've decided to split it up into 4 parts because it'll make the editing process a bit easier. I have such a liking for this ship and its dynamic.


End file.
